Zachary Aldwin : Milkshake in the boardroom

As I grow older I realise more and more how little I really know. Sorry if you thought I was a fountain of all wisdom-I’m not. There are areas where I am woefully ignorant (like who is currently leading in the Indian Premier League) and others where I may be a step or two ahead. Ignorance has its pros and cons.The biggest pro to ignorance is when you are stepping into a situation governed by outdated ideas or false ‘truths’.

Everyone carries a ‘truth’ with them that affects how they run their life and their business. In some cases this cultural baggage is not necessarily helpful or constructive.

This is the “you cannot do this or else . . . “ mentality that has no real backing to it but is based on fear.

Now these fears may have been relevant once but not anymore. There are plenty of examples of companies who were told “it couldn’t be done” but went ahead and did it anyway. Fedex, Apple, the invention of the aeroplane to name a few.

The flip side of ignorance is a lot of pain, heartache, loss of money, and even danger. I have been increasing my Do it yourself (DIY) capacity recently.

This now means that apart from changing the light bulb I can actually wire the socket too. When I decided to switch my security lights to an LED option recently I popped down to my hardware store and grabbed a couple of fittings that I thought would work with my current wiring.

Thankfully the store assistant was more knowledgeable than I was. It turned out that there were two types of fitting on the shelf; one for a 12-volt battery system and one for a 220-volt mains setup.

Buying the wrong one would have seen me spectacularly blowing a couple of hundred dollars when I flipped the switch.

So where should we stand when stepping out into unknown territory? Not all information that we get given is truthful, some is outdated or irrelevant.

A client shared a nugget of information with me this week that they use to help them decide if a business venture is worth it.

It was a piece of wisdom their father had used to run a successful business empire, and they had not done to badly running their life by it either.

It was a simple financial ratio, and while not the only figure they looked at, it helped them filter out some of the junk that came their way in business plans.

My first thought was “Wow I am undercharging”, my second was “I wonder if that ratio holds true for all businesses today in a digital age with different marketing methods, and different overheads for an online business?”

I’m still looking into the maths on it. This involves a chunk of reading, research, and ultimately will probably only really be tested in the field.

Look for the underlying principle behind the information. Seek to understand before you make a decision.

In some cases the principle you find will really, truly be of great benefit. Occasionally you may run into a principle that seems to hold you back.

Then look for a higher principle if you wish to break past the barrier. The principles of aerodynamics work at a higher level than the principles that govern gravity. Read, discover, and ask questions. Look where others have been successful. See if the principles that governed their success still hold true in the culture, environment and technology of today. “Buy truth and sell it not” is only half the proverb. The rest of it reads “also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding”.

Use the brain between your ears to thoughtfully examine ideas, not just to regurgitate them at face value.

Be careful of phrases that contain words like “never” that do not have a significant underlying principle governing them.

“Never go outside in minus-60 degree weather without clothes on” is probably solid advice based on principles of heat transmission and frostbite.

“You will never find a more efficient form of power generation” is a statement that begs to be challenged.

Social media has us clicking and sharing ideas that we may not fully understand and research. Dig a little deeper.

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